Multiple switch-board



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. T. J. PBRRIN.

MULTIPLE SWITCH BOARD.

No. 348,578. 4 Patented Sept. '7, 1886.

3% Y m/ I V N. PETERS, Fhohrbihngnphur. Washington. D. C.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. T. J. PERRIN.

MULTIPLE SWITCH BOARD- No. 348,578. Patented Sept. 7, 1886..

MENTOR WITNESSES 4- v UNITED STATE's PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. PERRIN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES P.HUNTINGTON, OF GREENVILLE, MISSISSIPPI.

MULTIPLE SWITCH-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 348,578, datedSeptember '7, 1886.

Application filed October 6, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. PERRIN, of

Brooklyn, Kings county, State of New York,

have invented certain Improvements in Mul tiple Switch-Boards, of whichthe following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to simplify and cheapen the constructionof such boards. The details are fully set forth below.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram view illustratingthree portions of three sections of a multiple switch-board and; Fig. 2is Figs. j 3, 4-, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are detail views illustratingf eachother by an intervening layer of some insulating material, and are boundtogether at the end which projects slightly from the front face of theswitch-board by a collar, (1, of insulating material. Contact-sprin gssecu red on the plug or block A, of insulating material, project forwardthrough the aperture in the board, and bear upon the upper and lowerspindle-sections, b c, as clearly shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. Eachspring f g and each spindle-section b c, is independently electricallyconnected with a binding-screw on the rear face of the pluga. Eachopening in the board is preferably faced with a metallic ring, 6, whichis secured in place by pins or screws 6' at the top and bottom, and eachring is electrically connected with the upper finger, f, at eachterminal, as indicated by the line 6', Fig. 8. The plug a and the partscarried thereby are so inserted in the board that the spindlesections,spring-fingers, and screws 6 will all be in a vertical line. In thearrangement shown all the main lines are brought in at section 1 of theboard, and, after running to their terminals on the several sections,pass to their spindle-sections, b c, which are insulated from Serial No.179,141. (No model.)

annunciators at their particular boards, and

from thence to earth. Three sections of board and three main lines areshown, and they are numbered 1 2 3. The terminals of each line on eachsection are numbered to correspond with the lines.

Referring specially to line 1 of section No. 1 of the board: This lineruns to a binding screw, h, on the rear of the plug of insulatingmaterial a, which screw is connected with the upper spring-finger,f,which bears on the spindle-section b, which is connected with the hinding-screw t. From thence the liue'runs to screw 11, finger f,spindle-section and screwi on board No. 2, thence through thecorresponding parts on board No. 3. On the latter board the screw 1' iselectrically connected with a screw, j, connected with the lowerspringfinger, bearing on the lower spindle-section, c, which isconnected with the binding-screw It. From section 3 the line returns tosection 2 of the board and passes through the corresponding parts j, g,c, and It, and from thence through the corresponding parts on board No.1, and through the annunciator-coil I to earth. All the other lines aresimilarly connected, each line being finally carried to its annunciatorat its particular board and grounded. The circuits shown are similar tothose generally used in all switch-boards.

The test-plug (there being one at each section of the board) isillustrated in the lower half of Fig. 1 and in Fig. 10. This plug iscomposed of a handle of insulating material, in the front end of whichis secured a brass sleeve, Z. The interior of the sleeve is lined withinsulating material Z. The exterior is also covered with insulatingmaterial Z, except at the point P, where the insulating material is cutaway so as toleave thebrass sleeve exposed. On the side of the plugopposite the exposed portion of the sleeve 1 a section of the sleeve andof the insulating material is cut out so as to form an opening in theside of the plug, as clearly shown at Z Fig. 10. The metal sleeve Zisconnected through an ordinary call bell and battery to earth.

If the operator at any one of the switch-boards wishes to ascertainwhether any one of the lines is in use, he inserts the test-plug justdescribed in the terminal of that line. When this is done the upperspring, f, will remain undisturbed, because of the testplug being cut,as described; but thelowerspring, g,will be lifted from its contact withthe lower spindle-section, c, and will bear upon the exposed portion Zof the conducting-sleevelin the test plug. If a line is not in use, theoperators bell will sound, and the subscribers bell will also be rung,thus calling him. Forinstance, assume that the test-plug has beeninserted in the terminal of line 1 on switch-board No. 2, the circuit ofthe main line No. 1 will run through the upper -connections, h f t, ofits terminal on its particular board No. 1, thence to its terminal onboard plug having been inserted at board 2 the circuit will there be] asfollows: from the lower spring-finger, 9, through the metallic sleeeveZ, call-bell O B, and battery, to earth. This gives a ground at thesubscribers station and at the central office, and rings the bells, asbefore mentioned. There will be no circuit to the annunciator of thisline, because the insulating material Z on the interior of the sleeve lbreaks connection between the lower springfinger, y, and the lowerspindle-section, c. The operation with all the other circuits isprecisely the same.

If the subscribersline is not in use, erator proceeds to make thedesired connection with each of the connected plugs M. These plugs areof ordinary construction, being provided with annular conducting-ringsm, surrounding a tube of insulating material, which passes over thespindle-sections. The end of the tube of insulating material separatesthe fing'ersf'and g] and upper and lower spindle sections, while theconducting ring makes contact with the face or terminal ring 6. Vhenthese plugs are inserted, the main line circuit of each subscriber willbe completed through the upper spring-finger, f, ring 6, conductingsleeve m on the plug, thence to the other subscribers line. The circuitwill be opened by the separation of the spring-fingers from thespindle-sections, so that the earth and annunciator of each subscriberwill be disconnected. If therefore the line is in use, an operator atany of the boards upon testing that line would get no signal. Forinstance, suppose that line N o. 1 isin use and has been connected onits particular board No. 1, and that the operator at N o. 3 inserts thetest-plug at the terminal of that line on board No. 3. The test-circuitwould then be from the earth, battery, and call-bell .to theconducting-sleeve Z, lower spring-finger, g, and screw through the upperterminal on boards 2 and the op- 3 to screw 1', and upperspindle-section at the terminal on board 1, where the circuit would beopen, because the connecting-plug M had been thrust between thespindle-section and upper-finger, f. There would therefore be no circuitfor the operators callbell. As before remarked, there would be nocircuit from the lower spindle-section at terminal 1 on No. 3, where thetest-plug had been insert- 2. The test-' ed,because theinsulatingliningZ of the sleeve 1 would break the circuit from the springg to the lowerspindle-section, and there would therefore be no ground through theannunciator in line No. 1 at board No. 1. By placing the screws 6, whichsecure the face-place in position, and the spring-fingers andspindleconnections at each terminal in a vertical line,

the screw c serves as a guide for the proper insertion of the test-plug.

It is thought that the complete operation of the board willnow beunderstood without further description.

' Any ordinary suitable arrangement ofclearing-out relay and operativetelephone may be employed. As such matters are,however,com mon and wellunderstood, their description and illustration is thought to beunnecessary. The spindles of the spring-jacks may be of anycross-section other than round, and the apertures in the plugs becorrespondingly shaped. Thus flat upper and lower spindlesections may beused, if desired.

It will be observed that the spring-jacks are attached to the board by asingle aperture, and that the test and line connecting-plugs are pluggedto the same aperture. This gives a cheap and simple structure.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of the several sections of amultiple switch-board, the main lines, the terminal devices for eachmain line on each. section of the board, said devices consisting of theupper and lower insulated spindle sections or contacts and the upper andlower insulated contact-springs which bear, respectively, on thespindle-sections and the circuit-connections.

2. The combination of the several sections of a multiple switch-board,the main lines, the terminal devicesfor each line on each section of theboard, consisting of the upper and lower spindle sections or contacts,and the springfingers, circuit-connections,substantially such asdescribed, and the test-plug with its bell or indicator and battery.

3. The main-line terminal devices, consisting of the combination of theplug of insulating material, the insulated spindle sections or contactsseparated by insulating material, and the insulated springcontact-fingers mounted on the plug and bearing on the spindle-sections.

4. The combination, substantially as set forth, of the several sectionsof a multiple switchboard, a main line, a terminal device or compoundspring-jack for said line on each board, said springjack having twopairs of insulated contacts, through which the line-circuit normallypasses,a circuit-connecting plug which, when inserted in said springjack, separates said pairs of contacts, thus disconnecting the earth andannunciator of the subscriber from the spring-jack, and connecting theline with the circuit-connectin g cord, and a test-plug andtest-indicating devices electrically connected therewith, said test-plugbeing In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

THOS. J. PERRIN.

Vitn esses:

ANNA E. PERRIN, E. H. QUANTIN.

